Bridge gate



c. LOVELACE Sept. 21, 1937.

BRIDGE GATE Filed Aug. 27, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ll: I

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BRIDGE GATE Filed Aug. 27, 1956 2 Sheets-Sh eet 2 2 5, A I J 13 12 UNI-TED STATES Patented Sept. 21, 1937 PATENT oFFricE BRIDGE GATE Cleo Lovelace, Aberdeen, Wash.

Application August 27, 1936, Serial No. 98,251

1 Claim. I

nection with abridge of that type utilizing an upwardly and downwardly movable draw, or with a swinging bridge.

An object of the invention is to mount the gate in guide standards at a point where it can be pushed downwardly out of the way when the bridge is closed but where it can move upwardly automatically into closed position when the bridge is raised. I-Ieretofore gates of this type have required the use of operating mechanism extending below the level of the road surface. An object of the present invention is to mount all of the mechanism of the gate above the level of the road where it is easily accessible, the cost of installation being much less than that where mechanism is required below the level of the road.

Another object is to provide a gate which will operate easily and which is sufficiently strong to withstand the strains resulting from the impact of vehicles thereagainst, etc.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claim, it being understood that changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

In said drawings Figure 1 is a front perspective view showing the gate closed and the bridge draw raised thereabove.

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the gate, the guide posts being shown in section, one of the posts being broken away.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the gate and the adjacent portion of the closed draw, the posts provided for the end of the gate being shown in section.

Figure 4 is a section on line 4-4, Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 3.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference A designates the draw of a bridge adapted to be raised and lowered by any suitable means so as to move out of or into line with the pavement B constituting the bridge approach. The bridge abutment C located at the end of the approach is provided with upstanding posts I located at the sides of the pavement. Each of these posts, which is preferably formed of heavy sheet metal, is hollow as shown and those sides I of the posts which face each other are formed with vertical slots 2. Mounted toslide within these slots are the ends of a gate 3 carrying antifriction rollers 4 which are adapted to travel along the inner surfaces of the slotted walls of the posts. Arms 5 extend upwardly within the posts from the end of the gate and secured to them are the ends of cables 6 supported by pulleys within the top portions of the posts. The other ends of the cables hang downwardly within the posts and are connected to weights or counterbalances 8. The combined weight of the two counterbalances is sufiicient to overcome the weight of the gate 3 when said gate is relieved from downward pressure. Therefore these counterbalances serve to hold the gate normally raised against the upper ends of the slots 2 and above the level of the approach B, there being only a small portion of the bottom of the gate extending below the level of the bridge approach when the gate is raised. The lower slotted portions of the posts extend below the topsurface of the approach B suiiicient distances to permit the gate to move downwardly so that its top edge will be flush with the top surface of the bridge approach. One or more reenforcing beams 9 can be extended longitudinally of the gate. In the drawings one of these beams has been shown and the same is located beneath the end of the draw A when the said draw is closed. In this connection see Figure 4.

One or more recesses It] can be formed in the opposite side of the gate for receiving lamps II constituting danger signals which will be exposed when the gate is in raised or closed position.

Arcuate guard plates l2 can be secured to the posts I and diverge therefrom and away from the bridge draw. These arcuate guards can be provided thereabove with hand rails l3 and the guards and hand rails serve to separate the road portion of the bridge approach from the sidewalk portion and reenforce the posts.

As has been already pointed out one end portion of the draw A is adapted to overlie the angle beam II. In order that the gate may be moved downwardly or opened when the draw is lowered,

blocks M are secured to the end of the-draw at points where they will engage and bear downwardly on the top surface of the beam 9 as the draw moves downwardly. Thus the gate ultimately will be thrust downwardly into the position shown in Figure 5 and during this action the counterbalances 8 will be raised. When the i draw A is raised the counterbalances will move the gate upwardly therewith until it reaches the upper ends of the slots 2. From then on the draw will rise independently of the gate to a position such as shown for example in Figure 1.

Importance is attached to the fact that the mechanism of this gate is located above the level of the bridge approach and where it can be reached readily for the purpose of making repairs and replacements. Furthermore it permits installation at a much lower cost than would be possible should these parts be located below the level of the road or approach.

The guard plates l2 constitute efficient means for bracing the posts I so that they are held securely in place and will not be disturbed by excessive impacts.

What is claimed is:

The combination with an abutment, an approach leading to the abutment, and a bridge draw mounted for up and down swinging movement relative to the abutment, of hollow posts on the abutment at the sides of the approach and outside of the path of the draw, said posts having vertical slots extending above and below the ap proach, guard plates extending from the posts and flared away from the draw, said plates being anchored to the approach and constituting combined vehicle deflectors and braces for the posts, a gate extending across the approach and having its ends slidably mounted within the respective posts, counterbalancing means disposed entirely within the posts and connected to the gate for supporting the gate normally with its upper edge pressed against the upper end of the slots, antifriction devices carried by the end portions of the gate and movable along the inner surfaces of the posts for holding the gate against movement into or out of the posts, reenforcing means extending longitudinally of the gate, and means on the draw for engaging the reenforcing means during the downward movement of the draw to depress the gate to a position below the draw when the draw is closed.

CLEO LOVELACE. 

